Edging Forms for Producing Self-Leveling Floors and Methods of Use

ABSTRACT

An edging form for use in forming a self-leveling floor includes an elongated body having a top face, a bottom face, and a first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face, the body being made of a polymeric foam. A plurality of spaced apart channels extend entirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face and pass through at least a portion of the first side face.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No.62/618,962, filed Jan. 18, 2018, and Provisional Application No.62/769,448, filed Nov. 19, 2018, which are incorporated herein byspecific reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to edging forms for producingself-leveling floors and related methods. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to edging forms that can be placed, used to contain aself-leveling flooring material, trimmed to a desired height, and thenreceive a floor covering thereon.

2. The Relevant Technology

Self-leveling cement products are often used in commercial andresidential flooring industries to create a flat and smooth substrate orunderlayment onto which a final flooring product can be applied. Theself-leveling cement products can repair uneven, bumpy and out of levelfloors and can also fill in nooks and voids. Self-leveling cementproducts, when mixed to manufacturer's standards, have a fluid or slurrylike consistency when initially mixed with water. The self-levelingcement product is then poured onto a subfloor. When mixed and installedcorrectly, the self-leveling cement product will flow to level and thenset up and cure. The cured material becomes a hard, flat, and levelsurface on which a flooring product, like tile, can be installed.

Before curing, the poured self-leveling cement product can also flowinto unwanted spaces if not stopped, plugged and/or contained. Unwantedspaces can include the area underneath walls, cabinets, and bathtubs andcan also include opening, cutouts, and cracks, such as pipe openings,vent openings, toilet flange openings, and waste pipe penetrations, thatare formed on or extend through concrete and/or wood sub-flooring. Thisunwanted flow of the self-leveling cement product can lead to anun-level cure of self-leveling product, extra labor and cleanup time,wasted material/money on self-leveling cement product, andpoor/unsatisfactory finished product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first independent aspect of the present invention, an edging formfor use in forming a self-leveling floor includes:

an elongated body having a top face, a bottom face and a first side facethat extends between the top face and the bottom face, the body having aheight extending between the top face and the bottom face in a rangebetween 1 cm and 10 cm and a width in a range between 1 cm and 10 cm;and a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through thebody from the top face to the bottom face.

In one aspect, the plurality of channels also pass through a portion ofthe first side face.

In another aspect, the plurality of channels include:

a primary channel that extends entirely through the body from the topface to the bottom face and is spaced apart from the first side face;and

an access channel that extends from the first side face to the primaryopening.

In another aspect, the access channel comprises a slot that is narrowerthan the primary channel.

In another aspect, the primary channel is cylindrical.

In another aspect, the access channel is constricted relative to theprimary channel.

In another aspect, the access channel intersects with the primarychannel at an angle or corner.

In another aspect, each of the plurality of channels has a transversecross section substantially having the form of an L, J, P, T, Y or anarch.

In another aspect, the plurality of channels comprise at least 10, 20,or 30 separate channels.

In another aspect, each of the plurality of channels are spaced apartfrom the first side face and are completely encircled by the body.

In another aspect, the body is comprised of a polymeric foam.

In another aspect, the polymeric foam comprises polystyrene foam.

In another aspect, the polymeric foam has a density in a range between30 kg/m³ and 50 kg/m³.

In another aspect, the body is linear and has a length in a rangebetween 0.3 meters and 3 meters.

In another aspect, at least a portion of the bottom face is disposedorthogonal to the first side face and wherein at least a portion of thetop face is curved or arched.

In another aspect, at least a portion of the top face is inclinedrelative to the bottom face.

In another aspect, the body further comprises a second side faceopposite the first side face that extends between the top face and thebottom face.

In another aspect, the top face comprises:

-   -   a first lateral portion;    -   a second lateral portion spaced apart from the first lateral        portion, the first lateral portion being at an elevation above        the second lateral portion when the bottom face is horizontally        disposed; and    -   a riser portion upwardly extending from the second lateral        portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom face is        horizontally disposed.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion and the second lateralportion are in parallel alignment.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion extends from the secondside face and the second lateral portion extends from the first sideface.

In another aspect, the plurality of spaced apart channels extendingentirely through the body from the second lateral portion to the bottomface.

In another aspect, the riser portion extends perpendicular to the secondlateral portion.

In another aspect, the top face comprises:

-   -   a first lateral portion; and    -   a curved riser portion downwardly projecting from the first        lateral portion.

In another aspect, the body has a transverse cross section that issubstantially L-shaped.

In another aspect, the body has a transverse cross section that issquare or rectangular.

In another aspect, a plurality of spaced apart second channels extendentirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face, each ofthe plurality of second channels passing through at least a portion ofthe second side face.

In another aspect, a backing is secured along the second side face, thebacking being more flexible than the base and being made of a differentmaterial than the base.

In another aspect, an adhesive is applied to the bottom face of thebody.

In a further independent aspect of the present invention, an edging formfor use in forming a self-leveling floor includes:

an elongated body having a top face, a bottom face, and a first sideface that extends between the top face and the bottom face, the bodybeing comprised of polymeric foam; and a plurality of spaced apartchannels extending entirely through the body from the top face to thebottom face and passing through at least a portion of the first sideface.

In one aspect, the body has a height extending between the top face andthe bottom face in a range between 1 cm and 10 cm and has a width in arange between 1 cm and 10 cm.

In another aspect, each of the plurality of channels comprise:

-   -   a primary channel that extends entirely through the body from        the top face to the bottom face and is spaced apart from the        first side face; and    -   an access channel that extends from the first side face to the        primary opening.

In another aspect, the access channel comprises a slot that is narrowerthan the primary channel.

In another aspect, the primary channel is cylindrical.

In another aspect, each of the plurality of channels has a transversecross section substantially having the form of an L, J, P, T, Y or anarch.

In another aspect, the edging form further includes:

-   -   the body having a second side face opposite the first side face        that extends between the top face and the bottom face; and    -   a backing secured along the second side face, the backing being        more flexible than the base and being made of a different        material than the base.

In another aspect, the body further includes a second side face oppositethe first side face that extends between the top face and the bottomface.

In another aspect, the top face includes:

-   -   a first lateral portion;    -   a second lateral portion spaced apart from the first lateral        portion, the first lateral portion being at an elevation above        the second lateral portion when the bottom face is horizontally        disposed; and    -   a riser portion upwardly extending from the second lateral        portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom face is        horizontally disposed.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion and the second lateralportion are in parallel alignment.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion extends from the secondside face and the second lateral portion extends from the first sideface.

In another aspect, the plurality of spaced apart channels extendentirely through the body from the second lateral portion to the bottomface.

In another aspect, the riser portion extends perpendicular to the secondlateral portion.

In another aspect, the body has a transverse cross section that issubstantially L-shaped.

In a further independent aspect of the present invention, an edging formfor use in forming a self-leveling floor includes:

-   -   a body having a top face, a bottom face, an exterior side face        extending between the top face and the bottom face and an        interior side face extending between the top face and the bottom        face, the interior side face at least partially encircling an        opening extending through the body from the top face to the        bottom face; and    -   a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through        the body from the top face to the bottom face and passing        through at least a portion of the exterior side face.

In one aspect, the body includes a circular ring and the openingextending through the body being circular and having an inner diameterin a range between 8 cm and 30 cm.

In another aspect, a slot extends through the body from the interiorside face to the exterior side face.

In another aspect, the body is square, rectangular, or polygonal and theopening extending through the body is square, rectangular, or polygonal.

In another aspect, the body is comprised of a polymeric foam.

In another aspect, the polymeric foam comprises polystyrene foam.

In another aspect, the top face includes:

-   -   a first lateral portion;    -   a second lateral portion spaced apart from the first lateral        portion, the first lateral portion being at an elevation above        the second lateral portion when the bottom face is horizontally        disposed; and    -   a riser portion upwardly extending from the second lateral        portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom face is        horizontally disposed.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion and the second lateralportion are in parallel alignment.

In another aspect, the first lateral portion extends from the interiorside face and the second lateral portion extends from the exterior sideface.

In another aspect, the plurality of spaced apart channels extendingentirely through the body from the second lateral portion to the bottomface.

In another aspect, the body has a transverse cross section that issubstantially L-shaped.

In a further independent aspect of the present invention, a method forforming a self-leveling floor includes:

-   -   securing an edging form to a subfloor so as to at least        partially bound an area on which a self-leveling floor is to be        formed, the edging form comprising:        -   a body having a top face, a bottom face and a first side            face that extends between the top face and the bottom face;            and        -   a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely            through the body from the top face to the bottom face;    -   dispensing a self-leveling flooring material onto the area in        which the self-leveling floor is to be formed so that the        self-leveling flooring material flows against the first side        face or a portion of the top face of the edging form; and    -   allowing the self-leveling flooring material to harden into a        solid floor while the self-leveling flooring material is        disposed against the first side face or the portion of the top        face of the edging form.

In one aspect, the step of securing includes applying an adhesive to thebottom face of the body of the edging form.

In another aspect, applying the adhesive includes using a caulk gun tomanually apply a bead of caulk to the bottom face of the body.

In another aspect, the plurality of channels also pass through at leasta portion of the first side face, wherein the step of dispensingcomprises the self-leveling flooring material flowing into the pluralityof channels.

In another aspect, the plurality of channels are configured so that whenthe self-leveling flooring material cures within the plurality ofchannels, the edging form becomes interlocked with the curedself-leveling flooring material.

In another aspect, the step of securing includes securing the edgingform to the subfloor so that the edging form spans across a doorway.

In another aspect, the step of securing includes securing the edgingform to the subfloor so that the first side face and an opposing secondside face of the edging form are openly and freely exposed.

In another aspect, the step of securing includes securing the edgingform to the subfloor so that the self-leveling flooring material cannotflow underneath the edging form.

In another aspect the edging form is linear and the step of securingincludes securing the edging form to the subfloor so that the edgingform bounds at least a portion of an outer perimeter edge of the area onwhich a self-leveling floor is to be formed.

In another aspect, the edging form is square, rectangular, polygonal, orcircular and bounds an opening extending therethrough.

In another aspect, the method includes removing a portion of the edgingform projecting above the solid floor so that a remaining portion of theedging form has a top face that is flush with a top face of the solidfloor.

In another aspect, the method includes applying a flooring covering overthe top face of the solid floor and over the top face of the remainingportion of the edging form.

In another aspect, the flooring includes tile, carpeting, wood flooring,linoleum or vinyl flooring.

In another aspect, the method further includes:

-   -   securing a carpet tack strip over at least a portion of the top        face of the remaining portion of the edging form; and    -   engaging a carpet to the track strip.

In another aspect, the step of securing a carpet tack strip over atleast a portion of the top face of the remaining portion of the edgingform comprises driving fasteners disposed on the tack strip into theremaining portion of the edging form.

In another aspect, the body is comprised of a polymeric foam.

In another aspect, the polymeric foam includes polystyrene foam.

In another aspect, the top face includes:

-   -   a first lateral portion;    -   a second lateral portion spaced apart from the first lateral        portion, the first lateral portion being at an elevation above        the second lateral portion when the bottom face is horizontally        disposed; and    -   a riser portion upwardly extending from the second lateral        portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom face is        horizontally disposed.

In another aspect, the self-leveling flooring material is dispensed ontothe area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed so that theself-leveling flooring material flows over the second lateral portion ofthe top face and against the riser portion of the top face.

In another aspect, the plurality of spaced apart channels extendentirely through the body from the second lateral portion to the bottomface.

In another aspect, the body has a transverse cross section that issubstantially L-shaped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed withreference to the appended drawings. It is appreciated that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and aretherefore not to be considered limiting of its scope.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first edging form incorporatingfeatures of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the edging form shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the edging form shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of the edging form shown in FIG.3 taken along line A-A;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment ofthe edging form shown in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an edging form;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the edging form shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the edging form shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the edging form shown in FIG. 7taken along line A-A;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a third embodiment of an edgingform;

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the edging form shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the edging form shown in FIG. 9 showingalternative embodiments of access channels;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the edging form shown in FIG. 9 showingalternative embodiments of channels for locking;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the edging form shown in FIG. 9 showingother alternative embodiments of channels;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of the edging form shown in FIG. 9having alternative access channels that extend only partially throughthe first side face;

FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the edging form shown in FIG.14;

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional side view of an alternative edging formhaving the configuration of a quarter circle;

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional side view of an alternative edging formhaving a second side face shorter that the first side face;

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional side view of an alternative edging formhaving the configuration of a triangle;

FIG. 19 is a cross sectional side view of an alternative edging formhaving a bottom face shorter that the top face;

FIG. 20 is a cross sectional side view of an alternative edging formhaving a top face shorter that the bottom face;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of anedging form having a configuration of a circular ring;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of anedging form having a configuration of a rectangle;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of edging forms secured to a subfloor tobound an area;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 23 where aself-leveling flooring material is disposed within the area and aportion of the edging forms are cut down;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 24 where theedging forms are fully cut down and a floor covering is being applied;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of anedging form wherein a flexible backing strip is secured to the secondside face;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the edging form shown in FIG. 26applied around a column;

FIG. 28 is a top plan view of a further alternative embodiment of anedging form having channels communicating with the first side face andthe second side face;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 24 using theedging forms shown in FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theedging form shown in FIG. 9 having an L-shaped transverse cross section;

FIG. 31 is an elevated end view of the edging form shown in FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is an elevated end view of an alternative design of the edgingform shown in FIG. 31; and

FIG. 33 is an elevated end view of a further alternative embodiment ofthe edging form shown in FIG. 31.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before describing the present disclosure in detail, it is to beunderstood that this disclosure is not limited to particularlyexemplified structures, systems, methods, or process parameters thatmay, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminologyused herein is only for the purpose of describing particular embodimentsof the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention in any manner.

All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein, whethersupra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entiretyto the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patentapplication was specifically and individually indicated to beincorporated by reference.

The term “comprising” which is synonymous with “including,”“containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and doesnot exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

It will be noted that, as used in this specification and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referentsunless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,reference to a “channel” includes one, two, or more channels.

As used in the specification and appended claims, directional terms,such as “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “up,” “down,” “upper,”“lower,” “proximal,” “distal” and the like are used herein solely toindicate relative directions and are not otherwise intended to limit thescope of the invention or claims.

Where possible, like numbering of elements have been used in variousfigures. Furthermore, multiple instances of an element and orsub-elements of a parent element may each include separate lettersappended to the element number. For example, two instances of aparticular element “10” may be labeled as “10A” and “10B”. In that case,the element label may be used without an appended letter (e.g., “10”) togenerally refer to all instances of the element or any one of theelements. Element labels including an appended letter (e.g., “10A”) canbe used to refer to a specific instance of the element or to distinguishor draw attention to multiple uses of the element. Furthermore, anelement label with an appended letter can be used to designate analternative design, structure, function, implementation, and/orembodiment of an element or feature without an appended letter.Likewise, an element label with an appended letter can be used toindicate a sub-element of a parent element. For instance, an element“12” can comprise sub-elements “12A” and “12B.”

Various aspects of the present forms and systems may be illustrated bydescribing components that are coupled, attached, and/or joinedtogether. As used herein, the terms “coupled”, “attached”, and/or“joined” are used to indicate either a direct connection between twocomponents or, where appropriate, an indirect connection to one anotherthrough intervening or intermediate components. In contrast, when acomponent is referred to as being “directly coupled”, “directlyattached”, and/or “directly joined” to another component, there are nointervening elements present. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms“connection,” “connected,” and the like do not necessarily imply directcontact between the two or more elements.

Various aspects of the present forms, systems, and methods may beillustrated with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments. As usedherein, the term “embodiment” means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments disclosed herein.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the present disclosure pertains. Although a number ofmethods and materials similar or equivalent to those described hereincan be used in the practice of the present disclosure, the preferredmaterials and methods are described herein.

In general, the present disclosure relates to edging forms for use inthe formation of a self-leveling floor or underlayment on top of asubfloor. As described below in greater detail, the inventive edgingforms can come in a variety of different configurations and sizes andwhen used can provide a complete sealing system for a self-levelingflooring material that is used to form the underlayment. Specifically,the edging forms can bound all or part of a perimeter of an area inwhich the self-leveling flooring material is dispensed for forming anunderlayment and can also seal edges, fittings, drains, cutouts andother openings and/or structures within the area for the underlayment toprevent intrusion by the self-leveling flooring material.

Depicted in FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of an edging form 10Aincorporating features of the present invention and which can be used toseal or bound a self-leveling flooring material. As used in thespecification and appended claims, a self-leveling flooring material isa liquid or flowable material that will flow toward level under theforce of gravity when poured and will cure or set to have sufficientstrength properties to function as a commercial or residential floor.Commonly, the self-leveling flooring material will independently flow tolevel solely under the force of gravity. However, in some embodiments oruses, a trowel or other tool can be used to assist in the spreadingand/or leveling of the self-leveling flooring material. Theself-leveling flooring material will typically independently flow tolevel in a period of time less than 30 minutes and more commonly lessthen less than 15 minutes or 5 minutes. The self-leveling flooringmaterial will also typically cure or set to a non-flowing state within aperiod of less than 72 hours and more commonly less than 48 hours or 24hours. In one embodiment, the self-leveling flooring material is acement based material that is purchased dry and then mixed with water toform the liquid material. However, in other embodiments, theself-leveling flooring material can comprise a polymer-based material,gypsum based material, or synthetic material. Other materials can alsobe used. One specific example of a self-leveling flooring material isArdex K 15 produced by Ardex Americas.

As depicted in FIG. 2, edging form 10A comprises an elongated body 12Aand an adhesive strip 14A that is secured to body 12A. Body 12A is shownhaving a rectangular or square transverse cross section and includes atop face 16 and an opposing bottom face 18 that extend between a firstside face 20 and an opposing second side face 22. In the depictedembodiment, top face 16 and bottom face 18 are disposed in parallelalignment and opposing side faces 20 and 22 are also disposed inparallel alignment. In alternative embodiments, as discussed below ingreater detail, body 12A can have a variety of other transverse crosssectional configurations and the opposing faces thereof need not bedisposed in parallel alignment. Faces 16, 18, 20, and 22 extend betweena first end 24 and an opposing second end 26. First end 24 terminates atan end face 28 while second end 26 terminates at an end face 30. Eitherof side faces 20 and 22 can be the face that comes into contact with theself-leveling flooring material during use.

Body 12A has a height H extending between top face 16 and bottom face18, a width W extending between side faces 20 and 22, and a length Lextending between end faces 28 and 30. Height H and width W are bothtypically at least or less than 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm, 9 cmor 10 cm or are in a range between any two of the foregoing values. Forexample, height H and width W are commonly in a range between 1 cm and10 cm with between 2 cm and 8 cm or between 2 cm and 6 cm being morecommon. Height H and width W can be the same dimension or can bedifferent dimensions. For example, depending on the application, heightH could be larger or smaller than width W.

Length L is typically at least or less than 0.3 meters, 0.5 meters, 0.75meters, 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 2 meters, 2.5 meters or 3 meters or in arange between any two of the forgoing values. For example, length L canbe in a range between 0.3 meters and 3 meters with between 0.5 metersand 2.5 meters or between 1 meter and 2.5 meters being more common. Thedimensions of the height H, width W and length L can vary depending uponthe application and use preference. For example, the height H canincrease as the depth of the desired underlayment increases. The width Wcan increase where it is needed to more securely retain body 12A to theunderlying subfloor as the underlayment is curing. Thus, width W mayalso increase as the depth of the desired underlayment increases and/orthe volume of underlayment increases. The length L can increase as thelength of the underlayment increases. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, body 12A has a length L that is 5 feet long, a height H thatis 1.5 inches tall, and a width W that is 1 inch wide.

Body 12A is typically made of a foam-based material that is liquidimpermeable. The material can also be flexible. In one embodiment, thefoam-based material is a polymeric foam such as polystyrene foam,ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, low-density polyethylene foam, polyurethanefoam, polyethylene foam, or polyvinyl chloride foam. The polymeric foamwill typically have a density of at least 30 kg/m³, 35 kg/m³, 40 kg/m³,45 kg/m³, 50 kg/m³ or 60 kg/m³ or be in a range between any two of theforegoing values. Higher densities have increased strength but lowerdensities are typically less expensive and easier to cut. Polystyrenefoam has some advantages in that it is inexpensive, lightweight, easy toform and cut and can be produced having desired compressivestrength/density properties. In other embodiments, body 12A need not bemade from a polymeric foam but could be made from a non-foam materialsuch as a polymer, fiberglass, wood, rubber, or composite. Using theselateral materials would be more expensive but may have properties thatare desirable for a specific application. For example, the laterdiscussed materials may have improved strength properties that are moredesirable for industrial applications.

As depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4A, extending through body 12A between topface 16 and bottom face 18 are a plurality of longitudinally spacedapart channels 32. It is noted that channels 32 are completely encircledby body 12A and are thus spaced apart from side faces 20 and 22. One ofthe purposes of channels 32 is to allow the user to pour a fillmaterial, such as a self-leveling flooring material, into the pluralityof channels 32 to enhance the structural properties of body 12A.Channels 32 can be formed concurrently with the formation of body 12A orcan be bored, cut out or otherwise formed after body 12A is formed.During use, an upper opening of channels 32 can be manipulated to be thesame level as the cured self-leveling flooring material before the fillmaterial is poured into channels 32. For example, as discussed below ingreater detail, body 12A and thus channels 32 extending therethrough canbe cut down to the level of the self-leveling flooring material beforefilling channels 32 with the fill material. One of the benefits ofchannels 32 is that the fill material poured into channels 32 andallowed to cure, anchors body 12A to the underlying subfloor. That is,the fill material further secures body 12A the existing subflooring toprevent unwanted shearing. The fill material poured into the pluralityof channels 32 also functions as a reinforcement for body 12A.Specifically, the fill material increases the normal stress thresholdand compressive strength of body 12A for better handling the floorcovering and loads that are placed thereon.

In the depicted embodiment, channels 32 have a cylindrical configurationtypically having a diameter in a range between 0.3 cm and 3 cm withbetween 0.5 cm and 2 cm and between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm being more common.Channels 32 are commonly spaced apart by a distance of at least or lessthan 1 cm, 1.5 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, or 20 cm or ina range between any two of the foregoing values. For example, thespacing between channels 32 can be in a range between 1 cm and 20 cmwith between 1 cm and 8 cm or between 1 cm and 5 cm being more common.In one embodiment, a single body 12A can have at least 10, 20, 30, 40,50 or more channels 32 extending therethrough. As discussed below ingreater detail, channels 32 need not be cylindrical but could have otherconfigurations. For example, channels 32 could have a transverse crosssection that is circular, as shown, or could be oval, square,triangular, or have other polygonal or irregular configurations.

Returning to FIG. 2, adhesive strip 14A enables body 12A to tack orotherwise secure to an existing subfloor to prevent body 12A fromshearing/moving relative to the subfloor when body 12A/form 10A isblocking the self-leveling flooring material from flowing. In oneembodiment, adhesive strip 14A is disposed on bottom face 18 of body 12Aand comprises any type of high-strength sealant or other sealant thatpermanently or securely sticks to the existing subfloor on which a userapplies it. Furthermore, adhesive strip 14A forms a liquid/slurryimpermeable seal between body 12A and the existing subfloor. A removablycover sheet 40 is a protective sheet that can be used to cover adhesivestrip 14A when form 10A is not being used. Cover sheet 40 can be anydisposable, peel-able sheet.

Adhesive strip 14A can comprise as a tape-like structure having a topsurface 36 and an opposing bottom surface 38. During assembly, topsurface 36 of adhesive strip 14A is secured to bottom face 18 of body 12such as by adhesive, welding, fasteners, over molding, or the like sothat adhesive strip 14A is securely fixed to body 12A. Disposed onbottom surface 38 of adhesive strip 14A is an adhesive, such as a tackyadhesive used on tape, that can accomplish the above objectives.Removable cover sheet 40, such as a polymeric sheet or film, can beplaced over the adhesive so that form 10A can be easily transported andhandled without exposure of the adhesive. However, when it is desired tosecure form 10A to a floor surface, cover sheet 40 is pulled off so asto expose the adhesive. Form 10A can then be pressed against thesubfloor so that the adhesive both secures form 10A to the subfloor andprovides a liquid tight seal between form 10A and the subfloor.

As shown in FIG. 4A, in one embodiment, adhesive strip 14A can besecured to bottom face 18 of body 12A so as to cover and seal closed thelower end of channels 32. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG.4B, openings 42 can be formed extending through adhesive strip 14A thatare aligned with and communicate with channels 32. As such, channels 32are openly exposed at both opposing ends so that the fill material canflow therethrough and directly contact and bind with the subfloor.

During one method of use, one or more edging forms 10A are laid out andsecured to a subfloor by use of adhesive strip 14A so as to partially orcompletely bound an area on which a self-leveling flooring material isto be dispensed for forming a solid floor or underlayment. Next, theself-leveling flooring material is dispensed into the area, such as bypouring or pumping, so that the self-leveling flooring material fillsthe area to a desired level. Edging forms 10A act as dams to assist inretaining the self-leveling flooring material within the area. Theself-leveling flooring material flows to level under gravity and fillsin all defects formed on the subfloor.

Once the self-leveling flooring material has sufficiently cured to bestable, forms 10A are cut down, such as by using a saw, knife, or othermachine, so as to leave a remaining portion of forms 10A having a topsurface that is now flush with the top surface of the underlaymentformed by the cured self-leveling flooring material. A fill material isthen dispensed into all or at least some of channels 32 to the topsurface of the remaining portions of forms 10A. The fill material isalso typically a self-leveling liquid that hardens when cured. The fillmaterial can comprise a self-leveling flooring material or can comprisesome other material, such as an adhesive or binder, that flows level andcures hard. Is still another embodiment, the fill material need not be aself-leveling material. For example, it could be an adhesive or caulkthat is dispensed into select channels 32 so as to fill channels 32 orto slightly overfill channel 32 and is then manually smoothed flat byremoving excess fill material.

Once the fill material has sufficiently hardened, a floor covering, suchas tile, vinyl, linoleum, carpet, wood flooring, or the like can besecured over both the formed underlayment and the remaining portion offorms 10A. Again, filling channels 32 with the fill material can helpsecure edging forms 10A to the subfloor to prevent unwanted movementthereon and also adds structural and compressive strength to each body12A so that they can withstand the compressive forces applied thereto.

Depicted in FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of an edging form 10Bincorporating features of the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 6,form 10B includes a body 12B and an adhesive strip 14B that is appliedto body 12B. Like elements between form 10A and form 10B are identifiedby like reference characters. For example, body 12B includes top face16, bottom face 18, and opposing side faces 20 and 22. However, sidefaces 20 and 22 can also be referred to herein as exterior side face 20and interior side face 22. Thus, when viewed in cross section betweenopposing faces 20 and 22, body 12B has a square or rectangulartransverse cross section. The configurations, alternatives, anddimensions associate with faces 16, 18, 20, and 22 for edging form 10Aare also applicable to form 10B. Furthermore, body 12B can be made ofthe same materials as discussed with body 12A. Likewise, adhesive strip14B can be made of the same materials and attached or applied to bottomface 18 the same as discussed above with regard to adhesive strip 14Aand edging form 10A. A plurality of channels 32 extend through body 12Bfrom top face 16 to bottom face 18 and can have the same dimensions,configurations, spacing and numbers as previously discussed with regardto edging form 10A. As also discussed with regard to edging form 10A,openings 42 can be formed on adhesive strip 14B that extend throughadhesive strip 14B and align with channels 32 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

However, in contrast to form 10A which is linear, form 10B is in theform of a circular ring that forms a continuous, integral loop.Specifically, exterior side face 20 is curved along its length and formsan outer perimeter having a circular configuration. In addition,interior side face 22 is curved along its length and forms an innerperimeter having a circular configuration that encircles an opening 44extending through body 12B/form 10B. Opening 44 is circular and has aninside diameter D. As discussed below in greater detail, form 10B isconfigured to encircle a structure or opening so as to block or seal theself-leveling flooring material from flowing to the structure oropening. The structure or opening that form 10B encircles can be a drainfitting or opening such as a toilet opening, toilet flange, pipe, hole,cutout, electrical outlet, vent opening, water line, or any otherstructure or opening formed on or extending through the subfloor. Edgingform 10B can be formed in a variety of different sizes depending on itsapplication. For example, where form 10B is encircling a 1 cm diameterpipe, form 10B can be much smaller than when form 10B is encircling anopening for a toilet. In some embodiments, body 12B/edging form 10B canbe formed with a diameter D that is at least or less than 5 centimeters,10 centimeters, 15 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 25 centimeters, 30centimeters, or 40 centimeters, or is in a range between any twoforegoing values. For example, diameter D can be in range between 10centimeters and 30 centimeters or more commonly in a range between 10centimeters and 25 centimeters.

During one method of use, one or more edging forms 10B are laid out andsecured to a subfloor by use of adhesive strip 14B so as to encircle anopening or structure on the subfloor. Forms 10B can be used incombination with or separate from edging forms 10A. For example, edgingforms 10A can be used to at least partially bound an area into whichself-leveling flooring material is to be dispensed for forming anunderlayment while one or more forms 10B can be positioned within thearea to seal structures or opening from the self-leveling flooringmaterial. Once forms 10B are positioned, the self-leveling flooringmaterial is dispensed into the area, such as by pouring or pumping, sothat the self-leveling flooring material fills the area to a desiredlevel. Edging forms 10B act as dams to prevent the self-levelingflooring material from accessing the structures or opening encircled byedging form 10B. That is, the self-leveling flooring material contactsand rises against exterior side face 20 but does not pass into opening44. Again, the self-leveling flooring material typically flows to levelunder the force of gravity and fills in all defects formed on thesubfloor.

The remaining process is the same as discussed above with regard toedging forms 10A. Specifically, once the self-leveling flooring materialhas sufficiently cured to be stable, edging forms 10B are cut down, suchas by using a saw, knife, or other machine, so that the top surface ofthe remaining portion of edging forms 10B are flush with the top surfaceof the underlayment formed by the cured self-leveling flooring material.A fill material, as discussed above, is then dispensed into all or atleast some of channels 32 to the top surface of the remaining portion ofedging forms 10B.

Once the fill material has sufficiently hardened, a floor covering, suchas discussed above, can be secured over both the underlayment and edgingforms 10B. Again, filling channels 32 with the fill material can helpsecure edging forms 10B to the subfloor to prevent unwanted movementthereon and also adds structural and compressive strength to each body12B so that they can withstand the compressive forces applied thereto.

Depicted in FIG. 9 is another alternative embodiment of an edging form10C incorporating features of the present invention. Edging form 10C islinear like form 10A and like elements between edging forms 10A and 10Care identified by like reference characters. Edging form 10C includes anelongated body 12C having top face 16, bottom face 18, opposing sidefaces 20 and 22, and end faces 28 and 30. The configurations,dimensions, and alternatives associated with faces 16, 18, 20, 22, 28,and 30 as discussed with regard to body 12A are also applicable to body12C. Likewise, the alternative materials used for forming edging form12A are also applicable for edging form 12C.

Extending through body 12C from top face 16 to bottom face 18 are aplurality of spaced apart channels 50. However, in contrast channels 32of body 12A where channels 32 are completely encircled by body 12A, aportion of each channel 50 extends through first side face 20 so thatfluid contacting first side face 20 can flow into channels 50. Morespecifically, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9, each channel 50comprises a primary channel 52 that extends entirely through body 12Cfrom the top face 16 to bottom face 18 and is spaced apart from firstside face 20 and second side face 22. Each primary channel 52 can have acylindrical configuration with a circular transverse cross section orcan have other configurations with other transverse cross sectionsincluding the configurations and shapes discussed above with regard tochannel 32 of body 12A. Furthermore, primary channels 52 can have thesame dimensions and configurations as previously discussed with regardto channels 32. Likewise, channels 50 and primary channels 52 can havethe same spacing and numbers as previously discussed with regard tochannels 32.

Each channel 50 also includes an access channel 54 that extends fromprimary channel 52 through first side face 20. In the depictedembodiment, each access channel 54 comprises a constricted slot that isnarrower than primary channel 52. More specifically, access channel 52can have a minimum width or diameter that is less than a minimum and/ormaximum width or diameter of primary channel 54. For example, theminimum width of access channel 52 can be less than 0.9, 0.8, 0.6, or0.4 times the maximum diameter of primary channel 52.

Access channel 54 can comprise a linear slot that projects perpendicularto first side face 20 and is bounded by opposing interior faces 56A and56B. In one embodiment, at least a portion of interior faces 56A and 56Bcan be disposed in parallel alignment. In an alternative embodiment, asshown in FIG. 11, an access channel 54B can project from first side face20 to primary channel 52 at an oblique angle relative to first side face20. In another depicted embodiment, an access channel 54C is shown thatcurves from first side face 20 to primary channel 52. Furthermore,interior faces 56A and 56B need not be disposed in parallel alignment.By way of example and not by limitation, interior faces 56A and 56Bcould be disposed in planes that are converging as they extend fromfirst side face 20 to primary channel 52, as shown by access channel54D, or diverging as they extend from first side face 20 to primarychannel 52, as shown by access channel 54E.

One of the benefits of channels 50, in contrast to channels 32, is thatchannels 50 are automatically self-filling with the self-levelingflooring material to proper height as the self-leveling flooringmaterial is dispensed into the bounded area for the underlayment. Thatis, as discussed below in greater detail, as the self-leveling flooringmaterial is dispensed into the area bounded for the underlayment, theself-leveling flooring material freely flows into channels 50 throughaccess channels 54 and properly fills channels 50 to the top surface ofthe formed underlayment. As such, there is no need for separate fillingor leveling of channels 50 with a filling material.

Another benefit of forming channels 50 so that they comprise primarychannel 52 and constricted access channel 54 that extends through firstside face 20 is that this configuration assists in interlocking edgingform 10C with the resulting underlayment. Specifically, as discussedabove, once edging form 10C is secured in position and the self-levelingflooring material is poured, the self-leveling flooring material flowsthrough access channels 54 and into primary channels 52 where theself-leveling flooring material cures and hardens. Because of theconstriction of access channels 54 relative primary channels 52, thecured flooring material within primary channels 52 cannot pass outthrough access channels 54. Thus, the cured flooring material interlocksedging form 10C to the underlayment to prevent unwanted separation ormovement between edging form 10C and the underlayment.

It is appreciated that channels 50 can be formed in a variety of otherconfigurations that facilitate interlocking between edging form 10C andthe underlayment. By way of example and not by limitation, channels 50can be formed with a corner, angle, arch or curve to help achieveinterlocking. More specifically, as depicted in FIG. 12, a channel 50Fis provided having a Y-shaped configuration. Channel 50F includes aV-shaped primary channel 52F and a linear access channel 54F thatextends from first side face 20 to primary channel 52F. Angles orcorners 58F are formed at the intersection between primary channel 52Fand access channel 54F to facilitate the interlocking.

A channel 50G is also shown that is curved or arched along it length.The curve of channel 50G helps produce the interlocking between edgingform 10C and the formed underlayment because the cured flooring materialwithin channel 50G cannot pull out of channel 50G. In anotheralternative, an L-shaped channel 50H is depicted. Channel 50H includes aprimary channel 52H and an access channel 54H that are both linear butthat orthogonally intersect at an angle or corner 58H to help achieveinterlocking.

Also depicted in FIG. 12 is P-shaped channel 50I. Channel 50I includes aprimary channel 52I having a semi-circular configuration and an accesschannel 54I that is linear and extends from first side face 20 toprimary channel 52I. Channels 52I and 54I intersect at an angle orcorner 58I to help achieve the interlocking. In addition, primarychannel 52I has a larger maximum width than access channel 54I so thatthe cured flooring material within primary channel 52I cannot passthrough access channel 54I. Further depicted in FIG. 12 is chevron orV-shaped channel 50J. Channel 50J includes a linear primary channel 52Jand a linear access channel 54J that extends from first side face 20 toprimary channel 52J. Channels 52J and 54J intersect at a corner 58Jhaving an obtuse angle to help achieve interlocking. Finally, depictedin FIG. 12 is a T-shaped channel 50K. Channel 50K includes a linearprimary channel 52K and a linear access channel 54K that extends fromfirst side face 20 to centrally intersect with primary channel 52K.Channels 52K and 54K intersect at corners 58K having a right angle tohelp achieve interlocking. In view of the foregoing, it is appreciatedchannels 50 could also be formed in a variety of other configurationsthat would help achieve interlocking between edging form 10C and theformed underlayment.

In other embodiments, the interlocking feature can also be achieved, orat least improved, by having channels 50 extend at an oblique anglerelative to first side face 20. For example, depicted in FIG. 13 is achannel SOL that is in the form of a linear slot that intersects withfirst side face 20 at an acute angle θ. If desired, a channel 50M in theform of a linear slot can also be formed that intersects with first sideface 20 at an acute angle θ. Channels 50L and 50M are depicted as beingdisposed in planes that converge toward first side face 20. In analternative embodiment, channels 50L and 50M can be configured so thatthey are disposed in planes that diverge toward first side face 20.

In other embodiments, however, it is not necessary for channels 50 tohave an interlocking configuration as discussed above. Rather, channels50 can be formed by simply being recessed into first side face 20. Forexample, as depicted in FIG. 13, channels 50N, 50O and 50P are formedrecessed into first side face 20 having a semi-circular, triangular andrectangular transverse cross section, respectively. Other polygonal andirregular shapes can also be used. The channels 50N, 50O and 50P helpfacilitate engagement between edging form 10C and the formedunderlayment.

As depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10, which are top and bottom perspectiveviews of edging form 10C, channels 50, including primary channels 52 andaccess channels 54, extend entirely through body 12C from top face 16 tobottom face 18. More specifically, access channels 54 extend throughfirst side face 20 to primary channels 52 along the full height of firstside face 20 from top face 16 to bottom face 18. In alternativeembodiments, however, access channels 54 need not extend along the fullheight of first side face 20. For example, depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15is a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view, respectively,of body 12C having modified channels 50 formed thereon. Specifically,body 12C is formed having channels 50Q, 50R and 505 formed thereon.Channel 50Q includes a primary channel 52Q that extends entirely throughbody 12C from top face 16 to bottom face 18 at a location spaced apartfrom first side face 20 and second side face 22. However, channel 50Qcomprises an access channel 54Q that does not extend the full height offirst side face 20. Rather, access channel 54Q extends through firstside face 20 to primary channel 52Q only through an upper portion offirst side face 20 that is spaced apart from bottom face 18. Accesschannel 54Q also extends through top face 16 from first side face 20 toprimary channel 52Q but does not extend through bottom face 18 fromfirst side face 20 to primary channel 52Q. Access channel 54Q allows theself-leveling flooring material to automatically flow into channel 50after the flooring material has reached a specific level.

Channel 50R also includes a primary channel 52R that extends entirelythrough body 12C from top face 16 to bottom face 18. However, channel50R comprises an access channel 54R that only extends from first sideface 20 to primary channel 52R at a location between and spaced apartfrom top face 16 and bottom face 18. In the depicted embodiment, accesschannel 54R comprises a cylindrical channel centrally formed on firstside face 20. However, access channel 54R can have any desiredtransverse cross section and can be placed at other locations spacedapart from top face 16 and bottom face 18 so that access channel 54Rdoes not pass through top face 16 or bottom face 18.

Finally, channel 505 includes a primary channel 52S that extendsentirely through body 12C from top face 16 to bottom face 18. However,channel 505 comprises an access channel 54S that does not extend thefull height of front face 20. Rather, access channel 54S only extendsthrough first side face 20 to primary channel 52S through a lowerportion of first side face 20 that is spaced apart from top face 16.Access channel 54S extends through bottom face 18 from first side face20 to primary channel 52S but does not extend through top face 16 fromfirst side face 20 to primary channel 52Q.

In the prior embodiments, each of bodies 12A-12C are described as havinga square or rectangular transverse cross section that includes sides 16,18, 20 and 22 as previously discussed. In alternative embodiments,however, each body 12 can have a variety of alternative transverse crosssectional configurations. For example, depicted in FIGS. 16-20 are endviews or cross sectional side views of alternative bodies 12 that can beused as part of any of the edging forms previously or later describedherein. Like elements between the bodies described in FIGS. 16-20 andbodies 12A-12C are identified by like reference characters. For example,depicted in FIG. 16 is a body 12D having bottom face 18 and first sideface 20. However, top face 16 and second side face 20 have been replacedwith a single curved top face 16A that extends from first side face 20to bottom face 16. As such, body 12D has an end view or a transversecross section with the configuration of a quarter circle. In thisembodiment, channels 32 and 50 extend through body 12D from top face 16Ato bottom face 18 and extend through first side face 20 as previouslydiscussed above.

In FIG. 17, body 12E includes has a top face 16E and opposing bottomface 18 and opposing side faces 20 and 22E. In this embodiment, however,second side face 22E is shorter than first side face 20 and top face 16Eextends in a curve from first side face 20 to second side face 22E. In amodified version, top face 16E could be flat, rather than curved, asdesignated by dash line 60. Body 12F in FIG. 18 is similar to the body12D depicted in FIG. 16 except that instead of having a curved top face16D, body 12F has a flat top face 16F that extends from first side face20 to bottom face 18. As such, body 12F has an end view or a transversecross section with the configuration of a triangle.

In FIG. 19, body 12G includes has a top face 16G and opposing bottomface 18G and opposing side faces 20G and 22. In this embodiment,although top face 16G and bottom face 18G are disposed in parallelalignment, bottom face 18G is short than top face 16G. As such, firstside face 20G outwardly slopes from bottom face 18G to top face 16G.Body 12H shown in FIG. 20 is similar to the embodiment in FIG. 19 exceptthat top face 16H is shorter than bottom face 18H so that first sideface 20H slopes inwardly as it extends from bottom face 18H to top face16H.

All of the above bodies 12D-12H are configured so that channels 32 and50 extend therethrough from top face 16 to bottom face 18. Wherechannels 50 are formed, access channels 54 extend from first side face20 to primary channels 52. All of previously discussed channels 50,primary channels 52 and access channel 54 and the alternatives thereofas discussed herein can be used with each of bodies 12D-12H.

Depicted in FIG. 21 is an edging form 10B1 having a body 12B1. Body 12B1is in the form of a circular ring and has substantially the sameconfiguration as body 12B depicted in FIGS. 5-8. Like elements betweenbody 12B and body 12B1 are identified by like reference characters andthus body 12B1 includes faces 16, 18, 20 and 22 and bounds opening 44extending therethrough. Body 12B1 can be made of the same materials andhave the same configurations, dimensions, and alternatives as previouslydiscussed herein with regard to body 12B. However, one of thedistinctions between body 12B and body 12B1 is that in contrast tohaving channels 32 extending therethrough which are completely encircledby body 12B, body 12B1 has channels 50 extending therethrough whichinclude primary channel 52 extending from top face 16 to bottom face 18and access channel 54 that extends from first side face 20 to primarychannel 52. Body 12B1 can be formed with any of the channels 50 oralternatives discussed herein, such as shown in FIGS. 11-15, and can beformed with any of the transverse cross sectional configurationsdiscussed herein, such as in FIGS. 16-20. The spacing and number ofchannels 50 on body 12B1 can be the same as the previously discussedspacing and number of channels 32 on body 12A.

Although body 12B1 can be formed as a single, continuous, integral loop,in the depicted embodiment of FIG. 21, a slot 64 extends through body12B1 from exterior side face 20 to interior side face 22 so that body12B1 does not form a single, continuous, integral loop. That is,although body 12B1 has a circular ring shaped configuration with insidediameter D, body 12B1 has opposing end faces 28 and 30 that bound slot64 therebetween. Slot 64 can be made as part of the manufacturingprocess. That is, in one embodiment, the interior opening 44 can be cutout with a blade or wire. For example, body 12B1 can be formed from ablock of prefabricated polymeric foam or other desired material.Exterior side face 20 can be formed by using a blade or wire to cut theblock into a circular configuration. When using a saw, such as a scrollsaw or band saw, the blade or wire then cuts laterally into the bock,forming slot 64, and is then used to cut out interior opening 44. Theblade or wire can then pass back out of interior opening 44 through slot64. If desired, opposing end faces 28 and 30 can be secured togethersuch as by welding, adhesive, fastener, tape or the like so as to form acontinuous loop. In other embodiments where body 12B1 is not formed byusing a scroll saw or band saw, body 12B1 could be formed without theformation of slot 64. Similarly, previously discussed body 12B could beformed with slot 64 extending therethrough.

Depicted in FIG. 22 is a further alternative embodiment of an edgingform 10B2 having a body 12B2 and incorporating features of the presentinvention. Body 12B2 is similar to body 12B1 except that body 12B2 has arectangular looped configuration rather than a circular ringconfiguration. Like elements between body 12B2 and 12B1 are identifiedby like reference characters. Specifically, body 12B2 is in the form ofa square or rectangular loop having top face 16 and opposing bottom face18 that extend between exterior side face 20 and opposing interior sideface 22. Spaced apart channels 50 extend through body 12B2 from top face16 to bottom face 18 and also extend through at least a portion ofexterior side face 20.

Exterior side face 20 forms an outer perimeter having a square orrectangular configuration while interior side face 22 forms an innerperimeter that bounds an opening 44A extending through body 10B2.Opening 44A can be square or rectangular and will commonly have amaximum width of at least or less than 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, 30cm, 40 cm, 50 cm or in a range between any two of the foregoing values.Opening 44A can also have a minimum width of at least or less than 5 cm,10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm, 30 cm or in a range between any two of theforegoing values. Body 12B2 is configured for encircling a rectangularair vent but can be used for encircling any type of structure oropening. Body 12B2 can be made of the same materials as previouslydiscussed herein with regard to body 12B. Furthermore, body 12B2 can beformed with any of channels 50 or alternatives discussed herein, such asshown in FIGS. 11-15, and can be formed with any of the transverse crosssectional configurations discussed herein, such as in FIGS. 16-20. Thespacing and number of channels 50 can be the same as the previouslydiscussed spacing and number of channels 32 on body 12A.

A slot 64A extends through body 12B2 from exterior side face 20 tointerior side face 22 and is bounded by opposing ends faces 28A and 30A.As previously discussed with regard to body 12B1, slot 64A can beproduced by a blade or wire while removing material that forms opening44A. However, in contrast to slot 64 which is linear, slot 64A has asubstantially Z-shaped configuration which results in end face 28Aforming a protrusion 66 projecting into end face 30A adjacent tointerior side face 22 and end face 30A forming a protrusion 68projecting into end face 28A adjacent to exterior side face 20.Protrusions 66 and 68 overlap so that if a lateral outside force isapplied to exterior side face 20, such as when a self-leveling flooringmaterial is pushing against exterior side face 20, protrusion 68 pushesagainst or is supported by protrusion 66 so as to help prevent theinward flexing or moving of body 12B2 adjacent to slot 64A. Such flexingor movement of body 12B2 could enable leaking of self-leveling flooringmaterial into opening 44A through slot 64A which defeats the purpose ofbody 12B2. Slot 64 on body 12B1 can also be formed having theconfiguration of slot 64A to help prevent the flexing or bending of form12B1. In other embodiments, body 12B2 can be formed without slot 64A sothat body 12B2 forms a single, continuous integral loop. In still otherembodiments, opposing ends faces 28A and 30A can be secured togethersuch as by welding, adhesive, tape, fasteners or the like.

In contrast to having a circular or rectangular opening 44/44A, it isappreciated that other edging forms can also be produced in the form ofa loop that encircles an opening having other configurations. Forexample, the opening could be triangular, oval, polygonal, irregular, orthe like.

Turning to FIGS. 23-25, a method of using the various edging formsdescribed herein and having channels 50 will now be discussed.Initially, as depicted in FIG. 23, a plurality of separate forms 10C aresecured to an existing subfloor 70 so that edging forms 10C encircle anarea 72 on which an underlayment, or other self-leveling floor, is to beformed. Edging forms 10C are positioned so that first side face 20 andaccess channels 54 of each body 12C face area 72. Previously discussededging forms 10C, 10B1 and 10B2 were described as not including adhesivestrip 14 on bottom face 20. When produced in this configuration, anadhesive is manually applied to bottom face 20 at the time of placingforms 10C. The adhesive can comprise a sealant, caulking, constructionadhesive, glue, adhesive tape, or other conventional sealants oradhesives. The adhesive commonly comes in a caulking tube and can beeasily applied using a caulking gun. For example, one or more beads ofcaulk can be placed along the length of bottom face 20. In otherembodiments, the adhesive can be applied by squeezing a tube, spraying,painting, spreading, or using some other applicator or method. Once theadhesive is applied to body 12C, body 12C is pressed against subfloor 70so that the adhesive secures body 12C to subfloor 70 and forms a liquidtight seal therebetween. Although typically less convenient, it is alsopossible to apply the adhesive directly to subfloor 70 and then pressbody 12C onto the adhesive so as to secure body 12C to subfloor 70.

In alternative embodiments, edging forms 10C, 10B1 and 10B2 caninitially be produced with and thus further comprise adhesive strip 14formed on bottom face 20. The alternatives types, configurations,methods of attachment and use of adhesive strip 14, i.e., adhesive strip14A and 14B, previously discussed herein are all applicable to use withforms 10C, 10B1 and 10B2 and the alternatives thereof. Where edgingforms 10C include adhesive strip 14, edging forms 10C can be attached bysimply removing cover strip 40 and then pressing adhesive strip 14against subfloor 70 so that forms 10C are secured to subfloor 70 and aliquid tight seal is formed between each body 12C and subfloor 70.

As needed, edging forms 10C are cut to length and the intersecting endsare abutted at the corners to prevent leaking of the self-levelingflooring material thereat. To further help prevent unwanted leaking atthe corners, an adhesive, such as discussed above, can be appliedbetween the abutting faces to secure them together in a liquid tightengagement. Where one side of area 72 is longer than an edging form 10C,two or more edging forms 10C can be abutted end to end to form acontinuous side. Again, an adhesive can be used between the abutted endfaces to secure them together in a liquid tight engagement.

As depicted in FIG. 23, forms 10C are placed so that area 72 iscompletely encircled or bounded by forms 10C. However, this may notalways be necessary. For example, in some cases an existing wall,footing, board, or other structure may form part of the perimeterboarder for area 72. In that case, edging forms 10C can be buttedagainst the existing structure so that edging forms 10C only partiallybound area 72 but all of area 72 is bounded by some structure. Forexample, in one method of use one or more edging forms 10C are placedacross a doorway to a room while the remainder of the subfloor of theroom is bounded by the walls of the room. Thus, the self-levelingflooring material can be applied over the subfloor of the room withedging form(s) 10C only extending across the doorway.

In still other applications, based on the slope of existing subfloor 70or the intended application of the self-leveling flooring material, allof area 72 may not need to be bounded. For example, an uphill end ofarea 72 may not need to be bounded by an edging form 10C or otherstructure where the self-leveling flooring material will naturally notflow past the uphill end because of the slope of area 72.

In addition to bounding the perimeter of area 72, as necessary,locations within area 72 that need to be protected from theself-leveling flooring material or where it is desired to prevent theunwanted flowing of self-leveling flooring material are bounded orsealed off by an edging form. As previously discussed, examples of suchstructures or openings to be sealed off from the flooring material caninclude toilet flanges, air vents, wiring, outlets or other openings. Asshown in FIG. 23, one or more forms 10B1 can be secured to subfloor 70within area 72 so that the structure or opening to be sealed off fromthe self-leveling flooring material is disposed within opening 44thereof. Form(s) 10B1 can be secured to subfloor 70 using the samemethods as previously discussed above with regard to form 10C. Duringattachments to subfloor 70, opposing end faces 28 and 30 (FIG. 21) ofedging form 10B1 are abutted together and can be sealed together toprevent leaking of self-leveling flooring material therethrough. Incontrast to or in combination with the use of edging forms 10B1, one ormore edging forms 10B2 could also be secured to subfloor 70 within area72. In yet other applications, in contrast to or in combination with theuse forms 10B1 and/or forms 10B2, areas, openings or structures withinarea 72 can be sealed from the self-leveling flooring material bycutting smaller sections of form 10C and securing them around the area,opening or structure. This can be done in the same way, as discussedabove, that forms 10C are used to bound/seal area 72 except that firstside face 20 and access channels 54 now face outward toward area 72.

Turning to FIG. 24, with the edging forms properly positioned, aself-leveling flooring material 76 is dispensed onto area 72 untilself-leveling flooring material 76 reaches a desired level within area72 for the underlayment. The dispensing of flooring material 76 can beaccomplished by pouring, pumping, draining, dumping or any otherdispensing method. As flooring material 76 is dispensed into area 76,flooring material 76 will naturally flow under the force of gravity intoa level surface. As flooring material 76 reaches first side face 20, theedging forms prevent flooring material 76 from flowing through or underthe edging forms. Accordingly, as additional quantities of flooringmaterial 76 are dispensed into area 72, the depth of flooring material76 increases and thus the level of flooring material rises along eachfirst side face 20. As flooring material 76 reaches each first side face20, flooring material 76 flows through access channels 54 and intoprimary channels 52. Thus, once the dispensing of flooring material 76has stopped, the level of flooring material 76 within access channels 54and primary channels 52 is equal to the level of flooring material 76within area 72.

Once flooring material 76 has covered area 72 to a desired level,flooring material 76 is left to cure into a hardened state, therebyforming an underlayment 78. The edging forms are typically sized so thatat least some of each edging form projects up above the top surface ofunderlayment 78. That is, one of the benefits of the present inventionis that it is not necessary to initially design or cut the edging formsprior to dispensing of flooring material 76 so that the edging formswill match the height of the dispensed flooring material 76. Rather,once flooring material 76 has cured, the excess height of the edgingforms extending above the top surface of flooring material 76 isremoved. This can be accomplished by using a knife, saw blade or othertrimming or cutting machines to remove the excess material. FIG. 24shows flooring material 76 cured to form underlayment 78 and a portionof the edging forms being cut away so that a top surface 96 of remainingportion 98 of the edging forms is flush with the top surface ofunderlayment 78. Flooring material 76 being received and cured withinchannels 50 is also shown.

Producing edging forms with channels 50 that communicate with area 72through first side face 20 achieves a number of benefits. For example,as discussed above, because channels 50 communicate with area 72 throughfirst side face 20, channels 50 automatically fill with the same levelof flooring material 76 as area 72. As such, there is no need toseparately fill channels 50 with a fill material. Furthermore, havingchannels 50 filled to a desired height with cured flooring material 76makes it easy to remove the excess amount of the edging forms. This isbecause the top surface of the cured flooring material 76 withinchannels 50 acts as a flat, horizontal guide along which a saw blade orknife can easily and smoothly move for cutting away the excess edgingforms. In addition, as previously discussed, having flooring material 76cured within channels 50 facilitates a secure interlocking between thecured underlayment 78 and the edging forms. As such, there is nounwanted movement of the edging forms relative to the cured underlayment78 during cutting away of the excess edging forms, during application ofthe floor covering on top of underlayment 78, or after the floorcovering has been applied.

Finally, channels 50 filled with cured flooring material 76 act asvertical support columns within the edging forms so that the combinededging forms and columns have sufficient compressive strength to enablethe flooring material to be applied directly over the edging forms. Thatis, there is no need to remove the edging forms after flooring material76 has cured. Other benefits also exist.

As depicted in FIG. 25, once all of the excess of edging forms has beenremoved so that the remaining portions 98 of the edging forms are nowflush with underlayment 78, a floor covering can now be positioned overunderlayment 78. For example, tiles 80 can now be laid and secured ontop of both the edging forms and underlayment 78. Again, although theedging forms many have initially been too fragile to withstand thecompressive applied through the floor covering, because of the increasedcompressive strength resulting from the combined edging forms andflooring material 76 cured within channels 50 thereof, tiles 80 andother floor covering can now be safely laid directly on top of theedging forms.

In addition to tile 80, carpet 82 can also be laid on top ofunderlayment 78 and the edging forms. Specifically, a carpet tack strip84 can be nailed on top of edging forms 10C. Again, although edgingforms 10C may not have independently been sufficiently strong to engageand support track strip 84, because of the synergistic benefits ofhaving channels 50 filled with cured flooring material 76, the combinededging forms 10C and flooring material 76 provide sufficientlystructural strength to enable tack strip 84 to be directly nailed on topof edging forms 10C. Capet 82 can then be laid over the top ofunderlayment 78 and secured to tack strips 84 using conventionaltechniques. Other flooring such as vinyl, linoleum, or wood flooring canalso be secured over the top of underlayment 78 and the edging forms.

Turning to FIG. 26, a further alternative edging form 10C1 is provided.Like elements between edging form 10C and edging form 10C1 areidentified by like reference characters. Edging form 10C1 includes body12C having channels 50 as previous discussed with regard to form 10C.Body 12C can be made of the same materials and have all of the samealternatives as previously discussed. However, form 10C1 also includes abacking strip 88 secured to and extending along second side face 22.Backing strip 88 is thinner than and more flexible than body 12C. Forexample, backing strip 88 can be bent over an angle of at least 90°,180°, 270°, or 360° without failure and can also be rolled into a tubehaving a diameter less than 15 cm, 10 cm, or 5 cm without failure.Backing strip 88 is commonly made from a polymeric material and cancomprise a polymeric film, sheet or tape. Backing strip 88 is typicallyattached by an adhesive but can also be attached by over molding,welding, fasteners or the like.

The function of backing strip 88 is to retain body 12C connectedtogether when form 10C1 is bent around a radius or curvature that wouldtypically result in the cracking and breaking/failure body 12C. Forexample, when body 12C is formed of a polystyrene foam, although body12C would have some flexibility, it may fail by cracking if bent aroundan outside corner or around a small column. By having backing strip 88secured to second side face 22, if edging form 10C1 is bent around acorner or small radius, as shown in FIG. 27, a crack 90 may be formedextending from each channel 50 to second side face 22 and backing strip88. However, backing strip 88 will maintain body 12C secured togetherand will also act as a dam to stop flooring material 76 that may passesthrough cracks 90. If desired, an adhesive can be applied to a back side92 of backing strip 88 for securing edging form 10C1, and particularlysecond side face 22, to an adjacent wall, column or other structureagainst which edging form 10C1 is being placed.

Depicted in FIG. 28 is another alternative embodiment of an edging form10C2. Edging form 10C2 includes a body 12C2 where like elements betweenbodies 12C and 12C2 are identified by like reference characters. Body12C2 is substantially the same as body 12C except that a plurality ofspaced apart second channels 50 are also formed extending through body12C2 and communicating with second side face 22. Second channels 50communicating with second side face 22 can have the same configurationand alternatives as previously discussed with channels 50 communicatingwith first side face 20. Edging form 10C2 can be used as an expansionjoint where large self-leveling floors are being poured. For example, asshown in FIG. 29, one or more edging forms 10C2 can be positioned withinarea 72 to divide area 72 into two sub-areas 72A and 72B. In thisconfiguration, both of the opposing side faces of edging forms 10C2 arefreely and openly exposed. Flooring material 76 can then be dispensedinto each of sub-areas 72A and 72B so that flooring material 76 flowsinto channels 50 on both sides of edging form 10C2. Once flooringmaterial 76 is cured, the excess portion of edging forms 10C and 10C2above the level of flooring material 76 is removed and floor covering isapplied in the same manner as previously discussed.

By using edging forms 10C2 as expansion joints, large self-levelingfloors can be formed with minimal cracking due to expansion andcontraction. As needed, edging forms 10C2 can be used to divide area 72into as many sub-areas as needed.

Depicted in FIGS. 30 and 31 is still another alternative embodiment ofan edging form 10C3. Edging form 10C3 includes a body 12C3 where likeelements between bodies 12C and 12C3 are identified by like referencecharacters. Body 12C3 is similar to body 12C except that body 12C3 has asubstantially L-shaped transverse cross section. Specifically, body 12C3includes a top face 16J and opposing bottom face 18 that extend betweena first side face 20J and second side face 22. In this embodiment, anotch 111 is formed on the top face along the length of body 12C3 so asto form the substantially L-shaped configuration. More specifically, topface 16J includes a first lateral portion 110 extending from second sideface 22, a second lateral portion 112 extending from first side face 20Jand a riser portion 114 extending between first lateral portion 110 andsecond lateral portion 112. In the depicted embodiment, first lateralportion 110 is disposed at an elevation above second lateral portion 112when bottom face 18 is horizontally disposed. First lateral portion 110and second lateral portion 112 are depicted as being disposed inparallel planes that both orthogonally intersect riser portion 114. Thatis, riser portion 114 can extend vertically up from second lateralportion 112 to first lateral portion 110 when bottom face 18 ishorizontally disposed and can also extend orthogonal from bottom face18.

In alternative embodiments, first lateral portion 110 and second lateralportion 112 need not be disposed in parallel planes. For example, one orboth of portions 110 and 112 can be sloped relative to the other and/orrelative to bottom face 18. For example, as shown in FIG. 31, in oneembodiment, second lateral portion 112 can upwardly slope toward riserportion 114 as identified by broken line 116. Likewise, riser portion114 can be sloped relative to first lateral portion 110 and/or secondlateral portion 112.

In an alternative embodiment depicted in FIG. 32, body 12C3 again has asubstantially L-shaped transverse cross section and includes top face16J, bottom face 18 and side faces 20J and 22. In this embodiment,however, top face 16J includes first lateral portion 110, second lateralportion 112 and a riser portion 114A. In contrast to riser portion 114which is disposed in a single plane, riser portion 114A comprises anangled shoulder portion 118 that upwardly slopes from second lateralportion 112 and an extension portion 120 that extends between shoulderportion 118 and first lateral portion 110. The formation of shoulderportion 118 reinforces body 12C3 at the intersection of second lateralportion 112 and riser portion 114A to help minimize undesired failurethereat. Shoulder portion 118 typically intersects second lateralportion 112 at an outside angle in a range between 120° and 150° butother angles can also be used. In the embodiment depicted, portions 118and 120 are linear. However, in other embodiments, one or both ofportions 118 and 120 could be curved. Furthermore, in contrast to riserportion 114A being formed in two connecting portions, riser portion 114Acould also be formed with three, four, or more interconnected portions.

In still another alternative embodiment depicted in FIG. 33, body 12C3again has a substantially L-shaped transverse cross section and includestop face 16J, bottom face 18 and opposing side faces 20J and 22. In thisembodiment, however, top face 16J includes first lateral portion 110 anda riser portion 114B. Riser portion 114B has a concave curvature thatextends from first side face 20J to first lateral portion 110. Thisconfiguration again reinforces body 12C3 so as to prevent failure alongriser portion 114B.

Returning to FIG. 30, a plurality of spaced apart channels 50 extendthrough body 12C3 from top face 16J to bottom face 18 so as tocommunicate with first side face 20J. More specifically, channels 50extend through body 12C3 from second lateral portion 112 to bottom face18 and communicate with or extend through first side face 20J. Aspreviously discussed, each channel 50 includes primary channel 52 whichis extending through body 12C3 from second lateral portion 112 to bottomface 18 and access channel 54 that extends from first side face 20J toprimary channel 52. All of the configurations and alternatives aspreviously discussed with regard to channels 50, primary channels 52 andaccess channel 54 are applicable to and can be incorporated into theembodiments and alternatives discussed with regard to FIGS. 30-33. Forexample, in the depicted embodiment, primary channel 52 is shown ashaving a triangular transverse cross section. In other embodiments,primary channel 52 and access channel 54 can also have theconfigurations as shown or discussed with regard to the embodiments inFIGS. 9-15. When applied to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 33, channels50 and primary channels 52 extend through riser portion 114B to bottomface 18 while access channels 54 extend from first side face 20J toprimary channels 42. Other properties previously discussed herein withregard to the bodies of other edge forms are also applicable to body12C3. Such properties include but are not limited to lengths;dimensions; number, spacing and configuration of channels 50; materialcomposition; material properties; and structural properties.

Edging forms 10C3 are used in substantially the same way as the edgingforms previously discussed and the prior use disclosure is applicable toedging forms 10C3. For example, once edging forms 10C3 are secured to asubfloor and the self-leveling flooring material is dispensed, theself-leveling flooring material flows to and rises against first sideface 20J. In so doing, the self-leveling flooring material alsoautomatically flows into channels 50 as previously discussed. Once theself-leveling flooring material hardens into a solid floor orunderlayment, the portion of body 12C3/edging form 10C3 projecting abovethe underlayment is cut flush with the top surface of the underlaymentusing a saw or other tool, as previously discussed. The remainingprocess of applying a covering, as previously discussed, can then becompleted.

One of the benefits of using edging form 10C3 having the substantiallyL-shaped configuration, is that in some situations the self-levelingflooring material will rise above first side face 20J so as to overflowsecond lateral portion 112 and flow against riser portion 114. As aresult, once the self-leveling flooring material has hardened to formthe underlayment, the portion of edging forms 10C3 that projects abovethe underlayment and that needs to be removed has a decreased thickness.That is, the portion projecting above the underlayment has a thicknessthat extends from riser portion 114, 114A or 114B to second side face 22as opposed to between first side face 20J and second side face 22. Assuch, by using edging forms 10C3 in these situations, it issignificantly easier and less time consuming to remove the portion ofedging forms 10C3 that projects above the underlayment. Furthermore,there is less waste and less clean up during use and a lower materialcost in production.

In other alternatives, it is also appreciated that the circular, square,rectangular, and other polygonal edging forms discussed herein, such asedging forms 10B1, 10B2, 10C1 and the like previously discussed withregard to FIGS. 21-27, and alternatives discussed therewith, can also beformed having the substantially L-shaped configurations as discussedabove with regard to FIGS. 30-33.

Select embodiments of edging forms and related methods described hereincan achieve a number of unique benefits. For example, in someembodiments, the edging forms provide an easy and efficient way forbounding an area where a self-leveling floor is to be formed and/orsealing off areas, openings and structures where it is desired toprevent the flow of self-leveling flooring material. As a result, insome embodiments and methods a consistently level and uniform floor canbe produced with decreased labor, minimal waste of material and/orminimal clean up. Furthermore, some of the edging forms are inexpensiveand easy to produce, handle, cut and/or place, especially when made of apolymeric form. In addition, in some applications the inventive edgingforms can be left in place with the floor covering being placed on topof them, thereby avoiding the time and mess associated with neededremoval. Other benefits and advantages also exist.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. An edging form for use in forming a self-levelingfloor, the edging form comprising: an elongated body having a top face,a bottom face and a first side face that extends between the top faceand the bottom face, the body having a height extending between the topface and the bottom face in a range between 1 cm and 10 cm and a widthin a range between 1 cm and 10 cm; and a plurality of spaced apartchannels extending entirely through the body from the top face to thebottom face.
 2. The edging form as recited in claim 1, wherein each ofthe plurality of channels also pass through a portion of the first sideface.
 3. The edging form as recited in claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of channels comprise: a primary channel that extends entirelythrough the body from the top face to the bottom face and is spacedapart from the first side face; and an access channel that extends fromthe first side face to the primary opening.
 4. The edging form asrecited in claim 3, wherein the access channel comprises a slot that isnarrower than the primary channel.
 5. The edging form as recited inclaim 3, wherein the access channel intersects with the primary channelat an angle or corner.
 6. The edging form as recited in claim 1, whereinthe body is comprised of a polymeric foam.
 7. The edging form as recitedin claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a second side faceopposite the first side face that extends between the top face and thebottom face.
 8. The edging form as recited in claim 7, wherein the topface comprises: a first lateral portion; a second lateral portion spacedapart from the first lateral portion, the first lateral portion being atan elevation above the second lateral portion when the bottom face ishorizontally disposed; and a riser portion upwardly extending from thesecond lateral portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom faceis horizontally disposed.
 9. The edging form as recited in claim 8,wherein the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion are inparallel alignment.
 10. The edging form as recited in claim 8, whereinthe plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through thebody from the second lateral portion to the bottom face.
 11. The edgingform as recited in claim 7, wherein the body has a transverse crosssection that is substantially L-shaped.
 12. The edging form as recitedin claim 7, further comprising a backing secured along the second sideface, the backing being more flexible than the base and being made of adifferent material than the base.
 13. The edging form as recited inclaim 1, further comprising an adhesive applied to the bottom face ofthe body.
 14. An edging form for use in forming a self-leveling floor,the edging form comprising: an elongated body having a top face, abottom face, and a first side face that extends between the top face andthe bottom face, the body being comprised of polymeric foam; and aplurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through the bodyfrom the top face to the bottom face and passing through at least aportion of the first side face.
 15. An edging form for use in forming aself-leveling floor, the edging form comprising: a body having a topface, a bottom face, an exterior side face extending between the topface and the bottom face and an interior side face extending between thetop face and the bottom face, the interior side face at least partiallyencircling an opening extending through the body from the top face tothe bottom face; and a plurality of spaced apart channels extendingentirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face andpassing through at least a portion of the exterior side face.
 16. Theedging form as recited in claim 15, wherein the body comprises acircular ring and the opening extending through the body being circularand having an inner diameter in a range between 8 cm and 30 cm.
 17. Theedging form as recited in claim 15, further comprising a slot extendingthrough the body from the interior side face to the exterior side face.18. The edging form as recited in claim 15, wherein the body iscomprised of a polymeric foam.
 19. The edging form as recited in claim15, wherein the body has a transverse cross section that issubstantially L-shaped.
 20. A method for forming a self-leveling floorcomprising: securing an edging form to a subfloor so as to at leastpartially bound an area on which a self-leveling floor is to be formed,the edging form comprising: a body having a top face, a bottom face anda first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face;and a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through thebody from the top face to the bottom face; dispensing a self-levelingflooring material onto the area in which the self-leveling floor is tobe formed so that the self-leveling flooring material flows against thefirst side face or a portion of the top face of the edging form; andallowing the self-leveling flooring material to harden into a solidfloor while the self-leveling flooring material is disposed against thefirst side face or the portion of the top face of the edging form. 21.The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of securingcomprises applying an adhesive to the bottom face of the body of theedging form.
 22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein each of theplurality of channels also pass through at least a portion of the firstside face, wherein the step of dispensing comprises the self-levelingflooring material flowing into the plurality of channels.
 23. The methodas recited in claim 20, further comprising removing a portion of theedging form projecting above the solid floor so that a remaining portionof the edging form has a top face that is flush with a top face of thesolid floor.
 24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprisingapplying a flooring covering over the top face of the solid floor andover the top face of the remaining portion of the edging form.
 25. Themethod as recited in claim 20, wherein the body is comprised of apolymeric foam.
 26. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the topface comprises: a first lateral portion; a second lateral portion spacedapart from the first lateral portion, the first lateral portion being atan elevation above the second lateral portion when the bottom face ishorizontally disposed; and a riser portion upwardly extending from thesecond lateral portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom faceis horizontally disposed.
 27. The method as recited in claim 26, whereinthe self-leveling flooring material is dispensed onto the area in whichthe self-leveling floor is to be formed so that the self-levelingflooring material flows over the second lateral portion of the top faceand against the riser portion of the top face.